Flames Destroy Local House Damaged In May Fire

While the fire was burning, police were searching the area of the Cameron Park Zoo for a man neighbors saw run from the scene.

WACO (July 11, 2013)--While firefighters were battling a major apartment complex blaze early Thursday morning, fire broke out in another house just a mile away that had been damaged in a May 7 fire.

The vacant house in the 1600 block of North 5th St., the same house damaged in a fire on May 7, was destroyed by fire Thursday morning.

Firefighters were sent at about 1:20 a.m. to the home on North 5th Street directly across the street from the entrance to the Cameron Park Zoo, where the first units on the scene reported blazing flames and heavy smoke coming from the structure.

The blaze was under control within about 30 minutes and no one was hurt.

A fire marshal was called to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

While firefighters were battling the blaze, Waco police officers, assisted by K-9 units, were searching the zoo property for a man neighbors said ran from the scene as the fire was raging.

More than half-a-dozen patrol cars were at the zoo entrance at about 2 a.m. and at least one police dog was inside the park.

No arrests had been made early Thursday morning.

Just about two months ago a house in the same area caught fire after the vacant house next door went up in flames.

At that time four Waco police officers were credited with rescuing the family that was inside.

At the time of the first blaze, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said officers Garen Bynum, Jennifer Duncan, Craig Mrosko and Kevin Spicer entered a home on North 5th Street and rescued two children and their parents from a home that had caught fire.

Officer Bynum had been patrolling the area and called in the blaze to dispatch.

Officers Duncan, Mrosko, and Spicer were also patrolling in the area, heard Bynum's call, and came to assist.

The burning house was vacant but it was burning so hot that the house next door caught fire.

Firefighters hadn't arrived on scene yet, so the police officers made the decision to enter the home, fearing someone might be inside.

After multiple attempts to alert the residents inside the home, the officers entered by force.

Once inside, the officers found a 7- and 9-year-old child hiding under a blanket and later found their parents inside.

As firefighters were arriving on scene, the officers ushered the two children and the adults outside.

All four members of the family were evacuated from the home without injury.

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